The airline industry says commercial air travel to Japan will suffer a major slowdown in the short-term due to the earthquake and tsunami, and that a recovery will depend on how the nuclear crisis unfolds.

Rescuers fanned out into unchecked areas of New Zealand's quake-devastated city Thursday looking for any remaining life in the rubble, as the death toll rose to 98 with "grave fears" that many of the 226 missing are dead.

Chinese President Hu Jintao denied his country is a military threat despite its arms buildup and pressed the U.S. on Thursday for closer cooperation between the global powers. He urged the United States to treat China "with respect and as equals" after encountering a fresh barrage of criticism from lawmakers over human rights.

Taiwanese voters flocked to the polls for local elections Saturday, hours after a gunman opened fire on a campaign rally in a Taipei suburb, killing one man and critically wounding the son of a former vice president.